Local Care Direct Fund supports 2,300 people’s health and wellbeing

More than 2,300 people have been supported with their health and wellbeing, thanks to the Local Care Direct Health and Wellbeing Fund. 

The Fund, a partnership with Local Care Direct, aimed to support people in Bradford, Leeds and Wakefield experiencing mental health issues, living in social isolation and affected by deprivation and poverty. 

The first round ran in 2021 and awarded 18 grants to community organisations to deliver projects for up to 2 years. The activities delivered included peer-support groups, creative sessions and workshops, providing essential items and much more. 

Thanks to the activities, 1,896 people said that their mental health and wellbeing improved. Additionally, 1,579 people said their physical health and wellbeing got better. 

One organisation, Cloth Cat Studios, used their grant to run music workshops, activities and interactive performances for people with a serious mental illness. They ran 142 workshops in total, supporting 147 people to express themselves through music, develop new skills, have fun and be social. 

One consultant who took part in the project said “The benefit I have seen has been enormous… they have been transformed by music… it is magical really. They have been able to talk about their experiences in a really powerful way, they say it benefits them. I see people’s mood improving, their anxieties going down… their self-esteem has shot up massively… the way in which they have supported each other in this is quite remarkable.” 

A second round of the Local Care Direct Health and Wellbeing Fund ran in 2023, awarding grants to another 15 community organisations across Bradford, Leeds and Wakefield. The activity will run for up to 2 years, and we look forward to sharing more about the impact of the Fund once the grants are complete.